7-Jan-05 - No V.92 for
USR V.Everything - David Holiman writes "Looks like
USR has given up on upgrading the 2805/2806 Courier v.90
modems to the V.92 protocol standard. After two plus years of waiting, poof! All
of the sudden, the upgrade is not even 'coming soon' anymore."

2-Apr-04 - Patton continues to update its V.92 RAS firmware - Release 5.3.1 in beta and available to Patton customers. Patton is working on even newer code to try and help with connectivity issues with some client modems and phone line conditions.

13-Sep-03 - NetZero promotes V.92 - with a national advertising campaign that promotes modem-on-hold, NetZero becomes the only major national ISP to offer V.92 with modem-on-hold (4 minutes). NetZero is also promoting a "HiSpeed"
service with speeds up to 5X faster - only the fine print discloses that the transmission of files and attachments including music or video is not increased - the boost comes from proprietary compression techniques on certain types of content. Level3 provides NetZero access numbers.

3-Aug-03 - AOL Call Alert - If AOL has its way, you'll forget about
V.92 and modem-on-hold, and pay more for AOL and your telco to handle calls
while online: What is AOL Call Alert?

2-Jul-03 - Patton releases new code - V 3.4.3 for 29xx RAS has been
released. Among the fixes included in this release is new DSP code (server
modems) that "...fixes some compatibility issues." Also of note:
"PCM upstream is disabled with this version of the code." ISPs using
Patton RAS can download the upgrade
from Patton.

11-Jun-03 - Motorola Back in the Softmodem business - In July 2001,
Motorola announced it wouldn't continue in the analog modem business - but, it
looks like the SM56 has been brought back to life: Motorola
Softmodem Products. The Motorola
Download page has only one new driver (presumably V.92), listed for
Windows XP and for speakerphone model only listed as "build 6.02.13".
The actual download is over 4megabytes, and appears to include V.92 drivers for
Windows 98, Me, 2000 and XP.

8-May-03 - USR Courier V.92 Upgrade - USR has released V.92 code for
model 3CP3453 Courier modems - available
from the USR site. This upgrade leaves the older "V.Everything"
Couriers unable to do everything: V.92 still isn't available for 25mhz 2805/2806
models - although it's still listed as a modem
for which V.92 is "coming soon". (It was first listed as
"coming soon" in August 2001 - see 14-Aug-01 update below.)

26-Apr-03 - Level 3 - Major V.92 Snafu? - since Level3 changed its default modem-on-hold setting to
'OFF', all V.92 client modems calling Level3 numbers now have trouble dealing
with call-waiting - one of the major features of V.92! Because a V.92 connection
is made, the client modem expects to do MoH, but instead of denying the request
and staying connected, Level3 denies the request and disconnects. Result:
customers of ISPs like AOL, MSN and Earthlink that dial into Level3 numbers are
unable to control whether they wish to accept or ignore call-waiting calls! Why
would Level3 do this? Apparently, some of their BIG customers have insisted they
do not want to support (hence, do not want to have enabled) V.92.

16-Apr-03 - Audible Alert with Modem-on-Hold - now an option for
Lucent/Agere DSP and Softmodem users with MoH version 1.71. This new version is
available from Modemsite Downloads, and is now
included on the driver CD for the Modemsite DSP and Softmodem.

12-Apr-03 - V.44 vs V.42 - Seeing is believing - V.44
vs V.42. Also - appears that Earthlink (and some other National ISPs) are
discontinuing many UUNet (MCI) V.90 provided numbers and replacing them
with Level-3 provided V.92 access numbers. Earthlink has indicated it does not
want to support V.92 - likely one of the reasons the Level3 network's MoH
support was changed. (See next item below.) In some cases, Level3 numbers
provide lower connect speeds (V.92 or V.90) than other providers: Level3 makes
extensive use of a super-pop architecture and CLECs that may introduce telco
routing related impairments. Users with V.92/V.44 external modems and standard
PC COM ports may also experience new problems: the modem can be faster than the
PC can handle. If you haven't already come to the conclusion that controllerless
and soft modems are better than "real" hardware-controller modems,
it's time to re-think.

Original item 26-Mar-03Level3,
the largest provider of V.92 access numbers in the US, recently changed the
default MoH setting from 'ON' to 'OFF' on its network. Level3 spokesman Paul
Lonnegren told Modemsite the change was made at the request of several ISP
customers. A communication was sent to all Level3 ISP customersnotifying
them of the change. MoH is now enabled only for customers that have requested
it. Lonnegren says that the sudden disappearance of MoH support reported by end
users at Modemsite's Forum56 is due to the
ISP's failure to request MoH support, or a Level3 provisioning error. Some ISPs
using Level3 appear to be unaware of the change - Forum56 users report that
Level3 ISPs they have contacted are not aware of any problem with MoH, and support suggests
the problem must be in the user's V.92 modem or setup.

22-Mar-03 - Avoid New LT Win Driver - Microsoft Windows Update for XP
has a 8.27 driver for the LT Win Modem - however, this driver is a special build
that disables V.92 and V.44 as a temporary fix for rare compatibility issues.
Anyone who "upgrades" to this driver will lose V.92/V.44
capabilities. Note - this driver "update" might be
automatically installed on a users system configured for automatic Windows
Update. Users who are connecting to V.92 ISPs may suddenly find modem-on-hold no
longer working. This special driver build was requested by an Agere customer.
(Rare V.92/V.44 compatibility issues can be solved by using commands
(init strings) to disable V.92/V.44 features.) Given
that Microsoft releases only a subset of LT Win drivers,
it's hard to figure why they put this one on Windows
Update. Agere is working on a new driver that corrects the compatibility
issues.

23-Jan-03 - Macintosh & V.92 - If you've got a Mac, and buy a V.92
modem for the Mac, can you do Modem-on-Hold (MoH)? Apparently not: while the
modems are advertised and sold as "supporting" MoH, it appears that
the necessary software to do MoH isn't available for the Macintosh. Zoom,
which acquired GlobalVillage/Teleport, makes and sells a V.92 modem for the Mac,
but doesn't include or make available any Mac MoH software. They've told some
disgruntled purchasers that it's the job of "software developers" to
make the MoH software to use the ability of the modem they make. It's been over
2 years since Zoom
started selling V.92 modems for the Mac, and still no MoH for Mac users.

23-Jan-03 - Audio of V.92 Quick Connect Handshakes added to the Handshakes
page. Thanks to David Hollman for providing the audio recorded from a USR5686E
connecting to V.92 server.

15-Nov-02 - 3Com/Commworks releases improved V.92 code. TCS Release
4.7 was made available on 13-Nov at Commworks'
Total Control site for the TC1000 RAS. Commworks indicates this release will
support PCM upstream rates as high as 36,000bps. (The only other RAS vendor that
includes PCM upstream support at this time is Patton.) In addition, the new
Commworks code includes improved V.92 support that will help with GSTN cleardown,
retrain, and rate-shift problems.

8-Nov-02 - Cisco released V.92/V.44 for 3640, 3660, 3725 and 3745 RAS
servers with Mica modems yesterday. The 12.2(11)YT release is available for
download from Cisco CCO. V.92 support for Mica modems is limited to Quick
Connect and Modem-on-Hold - there will be no PCM upstream support for Cisco Mica
modems with any RAS server. PCM upstream code has not been yet been released for
any Cisco RAS product.

2-Nov-02 - Aastra acquires Nortel CVX - In May of this year, Canadian
company Aastra acquired the
Nortel
CVX RAS product line. The Aastra site has only basic sales information on
the CVX - and no mention of V.92 support. (Documents still at Nortel mention
V.92/V.44 support.) The current 4.2 software which supports V.92 modem-on-hold,
quick connect and V.44 was released in September, 2001 by Nortel. The release
notes state "...PCM Upstream is not supported in the initial release of
digital modem code for the CVX." Aastra hasn't replied to my query
regarding the CVX. Nortel's 4.2 release notes also indicate that when PCM
upstream is supported, subscribers with PCM upstream enabled will see lower
downstream rates compared to V.90, while getting upstream rates that "hover
around 36.0-42.7Kbps in 'clean' environments."

31-Oct-02 - V.92 ISP List - Now displays the
list from a real-time database which also provides for sort and filtering. The
form to submit V.92 ISP listings has been moved to a separate
page (listings are verified before they are added to the live database). A
help page for the listing also added. This will allow new and revised V.92 ISP
listings to be added more quickly!

19-Oct-02 - Patton
officially released V.92 code for its 2660 and 2996 RAS servers the first
week of September.

19-Oct-02 - V.92 ISPs - I've converted the V.92
ISP list to a database, and will be changing the page to allow searching and
sorting by various criteria. The submission form and database have some new
fields. ISPs currently listed are encouraged to use the form to provide updated
information. While I will still edit/verify information submitted, converting
the page to database driver will allow faster additions to the list.

9-Oct-02 - V.92 ISP List - growing - now lists 120 ISPs with at least
some V.92 support. I try to verify each listing. I've also changed the form to
submit V.92 ISPs to collect more information - modem-on-hold support and maximum
hold time as well as PCM upstream support. ISPs already listed - please
re-submit the form with the additional information. I'm going to re-format the
list to add MoH timeout info, and am thinking about location/sort options to
make it easier for users to find ISPs that serve their area.....

25-Sep-02 - Deceptive V.92 Advertising - 2 owners of SONICBlue
(Diamond Multimedia / Supra) V.92 modems have filed complaints with the FTC and
BBB over claims their modems will do modem-on-hold: no enabling software
supplied with the modem. This after futile attempts to resolve the problem with
Diamond support. The complaint alleges deceptive and misleading advertising. After
being notified of the complaint, SONICBlue gave the modem owners a link to
download a MoH applet: ftp://ftp.diamondmm.com/pub/communications/supra/netonhold/
(Current file - netonhold_15.exe and instructions in netonhold_15.txt). The
modems in question use a Conexant chipset.

14-Sep-02 - AT&T Worldnet has a "time-limited" trial for
some access numbers for V.92 - currently not widely available. See Worldnet's
V.92 FAQ.

9-Sep-02 - Earthlink & V.92 - Earthlink's DOES NOT support V.92 -
according to Earthlink. I had added them to V.92 ISPs on Aug 30 as having
limited and unpublished V.92 availability: some access lines are provided by
Level 3 including V.92; however, Earthlink's official position is that
they do not support V.92, and have no plans to support V.92. Earthlink
has been removed from the V.92 ISP list.

30-Aug-02 - V.92 Interoperability - LT Win Modem & Modem-on-hold - Users
with V.92 LT Win Modem running 8.xx drivers may find their machine reboots
when an incoming call comes while online. This occurs if the ISP has set maximum
MoH time higher than 8 minutes, and can be avoided if the ISP sets maximum hold
time to 8 minutes or less. The next driver when released (8.24) will correct
this bug. (This bug may not always crash the computer.)

3-Jul-02 - No more Prodigy - SBC
acquired Prodigy which will 'disappear'. Go to Prodigy.net,
and you'll find you can't sign up for 'Prodigy' - it's now 'SBC
Yahoo! Dial'. While there are plenty of ads on Prodigy, information on its
own service is lacking - no mention of access numbers, or V.92. Prodigy
previously had announced it would use Level 3 access in some areas and support
V.92.

22-Jun-02 - V.92 ISPs without V.92 - Various interoperability problems
between client modems and server-side V.92 modems have led a number of ISPs to
disable one or more V.92/V.44 functions. V.92 PCM upstream is supported only by
3Com. Patton's V.92 with PCM upstream, while available to ISPs, is still in
beta. ISP discussion list messages (see ISP-related
Links) indicate Quick Connect problems with various client and server modems
(which include creating problems for older V.90 modems), as well as problems
with V.44 compression, result in some ISPs turning off these features. Some V.92
ISPs may support only 1 of the V.92/V.44 features - and even then, the enabled
feature may work only with some V.92 client modems.

26-May-02 - V.92 & Macintosh? While you can get a V.92 modem that
will "work" on a Mac, it appears you can't get one that will do
modem-on-hold: apparently no modem vendor has developed a modem-on-hold applet
for the Mac! According to an officer of the Palm Beach Florida Macintosh user
group, says that no modem vendor he's contacted indicates a Mac-compatible
driver supporting modem-on-hold will be coming any time soon; and, that Apple
support isn't helping - just referring questions to the modem makers. (In the
meantime, Mac users should be able to at least disconnect on call-waiting with
the +PCW command.)

26-May-02 - USR selling USB modem - In Germany: see 56K
Faxmodem usb (xx5633-00). The .inf file included in the driver package
for the modem indicates this is an OEM modem based upon Conexant controllerless
chipset.

25-May-02 - Cisco to release updated V.92 code version 2.9.2.0 around
June 1. It will have V.92 and V.44 disabled by default, so ISP's
providing V.92 with Cisco gear will have to use an initialization string (modemcap)
to enable V.92/V.44. Cisco
release notes for current 2.7.4.0 includes a list of known
bugs.

13-Apr-02 - USR & MOH - Michael Willis reports getting Modem on
Hold working to Cisco's RAS with the USR5686, latest firmware (5.4.4), and the
latest USR ICN application, and has removed some of the previous information he
published (see 5-Apr-02 update below & Michael's
USR page). My independent understanding is that the Internal USR V.92
modem's bug currently remains uncorrected: modem on hold will not work on the
internal (technically, the problem is the USR modem doesn't initiate a handshake
that conforms to the V.92 standard when it attempts to go back online when
ending the hold.)

11-Apr 02 - Patton
ElectronicsV.92 release is running in beta sites and an unsupported
early release is available to all Patton customers who want to do testing. (See Patton's
Support section.) All V.92 features are included; V.44 and V.59 will also be
available. Some minor modem incompatibilities and improvements are being worked
on with modem manufacturers. Commercial release is expected in 4-12 weeks, and
will be made available to all customers of Patton's 2960 and 2996 RAS at no
charge. Patton has also announced an enhanced warranty program that provides
free advance replacements and a 5-year warranty term.

5-Apr-02 - USR & MOH - Michael Willis who administers the
University of Washington's Cisco RAS has been testing V.92 client modems (see
27-Jan-02 update below). He's told me that Cisco has determined USR V.92 modems
have a firmware bug that prevents re-establishing data connection after placing
the Modem on Hold. Apparently, USR has told Cisco it will not make
changes to make their modems compliant with V.92 specifications. The USR bug
results in disconnection when you are finished with taking a call-waiting and
try to go back to data mode. (See
Michael's USR page which includes USR Control Center screenshots.)

5-Apr-02 - Smartlink V.92 - Version 3.0 drivers released for all Smartlink
chipset modems including USB, PCI and AMR form factors.

21-Mar-02 - USR Modems and V.92 commands- Other modem vendors have
supported extended modem commands beginning with a plus sign (+MS= , etc.) for
some time; these extended commands must be terminated with a semicolon if other
commands follow. While USR still does not support the modulation select (+MS=)
command, the other V.92-related modem-on-hold, PCM upstream and Quick Connect
commands are supported - but with a difference: these commands must be separated
with a space, not a semi-colon. The V.92
Commands page has been updated to reflect this uniquely USR methodology.

10-Mar-02 - No Data - An ISP upgraded with Commworks V.92 reports that
some modem connections last 10 seconds - although there is no disconnect, all
traffic stops. Apparently, this problem can be avoided with "delayed
connect" - if the user waits 15 seconds after connecting before
sending anything, the connection works. (Problem reported with USR Winmodems, as
well as others.)

5-Mar-02 - CommWorks V.92 - TCS 4.5 was released
26-Feb-02 making 3Com's CommWorks the first server-side vendor supporting PCM
upstream. But, don't get too excited: currently the maximum upstream rate
that is supported is 33,333bps - actually less than the maximum rate that can
be achieved with V.34! In addition, the handshake associated with a V.92
connection will be longer than a V.90 or V.34 connect - exactly the
opposite of the V.92 Quick Connect promise! Meanwhile, CommWorks has ticked
off a significant number of its customers by requiring expensive service
contracts and in many cases equipment upgrades in order to support the
over-hyped V.92/V.44. Bottom line: users who are expecting dial-up performance
boosts with V.92/V.44 are likely to be disappointed, and may actually see the
opposite - poorer performance - for quite some time.

25-Feb-02 - Cisco's V.92 with PCM Upstream - The latest
word on PCM upstream for ISPs using Cisco 5350, 5400, or 5850 RAS with NextPort
modems is now sometime in the second half of this year: July-Dec '02. (The
target was originally by Sep '01 - see 8-Dec-00 and 14-April-01 updates below.
This item corrected on 1-Mar-02 to change Cisco 5300 to 5350: the 5300 will not
provide PCM upstream support.)

Meanwhile, 3Com's Commworks is supposed to have V.92 code with
PCM available for ISPs to download this week. My guess is any ISP who actually
tries to use this, and expects no problems, will get a quick wake-up call (that
is, if he can put his modem-on-hold).

23-Feb-02 - Zoom 2949L may be upgraded to V.92 - Zoom
doesn't indicate you can do it, but I've received 2 reports from users who
indicate they've successfully flashed the modem with the 3049L V.92 firmware -
see Lucent Venus Modem V.92 Information. V.92 Driver is
also available for the Intel HaM modem under Linux.

17-Feb-02 - 3Com/Commworks may release V.92 with PCM Upstream - Indications
point to a release that include V.44 and V.92 with Quick-Connect, Modem-on-hold,
and PCM Upstream the week of February 25 for supported server-side modems. (3Com
requirements for ISPs to upgrade include a paid maintenance contract and, in
some cases, hardware upgrades.)

16-Feb-02 - DON'T BUY A ZOOM 3025-L V.92 Modem: The
3025L, originally introduced as a V.92 modem in November, 2000, will be
discontinued. While Agere continues to work on improvements to the V.92 driver
for the "LT Win" chipsets, driver version 8.12 will be the last
version that supports V.92/V.44 features on the 3025L or any other modem based
upon the 1646 "Mars2" DSP. Only modems based upon the 1648C
"Mars3.2" DSP will be supported in new V.92 driver releases. (I
believe Zoom has a new 3025-N model, however, Zoom's
product information page still lists 3025-00-00L as the "current"
model.) A new 8.20 driver is available from Microsoft's Windows Update for XP
and Modemsite.

DON'T BUY A USR "Performance Pro" V.92 Modem: see
these Forum56 posts: ABC.
All USR V.92 modems will have problems as the code for the modems has
interoperability problems with V.92 RAS Servers. USR's Control Center - a poorly
written Windows app to upgrade and control V.92 features - is and will be the
source of much grief for ISP support personnel and end-users. The ICN (Internet
Call Notification) feature doesn't work with many V.92 servers (including
Cisco). USR has many bugs in its V.92 firmware, and unlike other modem makers,
offers no way to flash from versions that cause you trouble to a version that at
least lets you make a connection.

BEST DATA has a Modem-on-Hold "Net Waiting"
application available for its V.92 56W-92 modem based upon Conexant chipset -
although there's currently no info or link to it from the Best Data website! The
applet is here: http://www.bestdata.com/tech/56fw92moh.zip

7-Feb-02 - V.92 with Nortel CVX - V.92 code released
for ISPs using Nortel Network's server-side modems in CVX RAS. The code supports
V.44 compression, V.92 Quick Connect and Modem-on-hold, but there is no PCM
upstream support in the release.

27-Jan-02 - V.92 in the real world - Michael Willis has
been working with Cisco's server-side V.92 RAS at a large west-coast university
since mid October. He's put up a page with some information, and link to some of
his thoughts on V.92 client modems tested. Check
it out!

24-Jan-02 - V.92 from 3Com coming - Commworks'
V.92/V.44 code is in final beta testing, and is expected to be released before
the end of February. Commworks release will support Modem on Hold, PCM Upstream,
Quick Connect and V.44 compression.

Meanwhile, I received a note indciating Zoom has made locating
their V.92 modem drivers easier; maybe it's just me, but now when I go to Zoom.com,
I don't see anything that looks like a link to drivers from their main
page - except possibly "technical support", which page doesn't mention
anything about drivers - except for XP....

20-Jan-02 - I no longer recommend buying a USR modem: They're
just not the same company they used to be. Broken promises (V.92 upgrades 'soon'
in March '01, now, it's 'never); no V.44 support; and just plain lousy
interoperability and operation of what they are calling V.92 modems. I've
received a number of reports of ISPs with Cisco RAS equipment: USR V.92 clients
can't complete a handshake; USR's ControlCenter doesn't control anything (it
doesn't enable/disable V.92 features). USR firmware upgrades may fix some
inability to connect at all to the ISP, but with the flaky control center,
getting the upgrade may be next to impossible.

5-Jan-02 - Where's V.92? - Several ISPs who have
upgraded to V.92 have told me there are problems with modem-on-hold: it's not
working as advertised. [Probably an interoperability issue that may vary
depending upon vendor RAS and firmware as well as client modem and
firmware/driver.] CommWorks (formerly 3Com/USR) server-side V.92, which
includes PCM upstream, is still in beta. Zoom, which has been selling
"V.92" modems since November, 2000, has finally released a
"real" V.92 driver and modem-on-hold applet - but you won't find
them by going to Zoom's
V.92 driver page - they're on the XP
driver page! And, Smartlink
has one of the most outrageous fluff pieces yet on V.92 - indicating V.92 will
provide "broadband-like performance and features".

1-Dec-01 - USR Releases V.92 Upgrade - The USR
"Performance Pro" (Model 5610A) is now listed as having a V.92 upgrade
available at the USR
site. At the same time, a new 5610B model becomes the (currently
out-of-stock) new V.92
Performance Pro. We now know that "soon" to US Robotics means 9+
months. Before you upgrade or buy this modem, I recommend visiting this Forum56
thread which indicates the upgrade does not work; and this
Forum56 thread regarding the 5610 "Performance".

22-Nov-01 - CommWorks V.92 info - CommWorks, which took
over the 3Com/USR server-side RAS business, isn't going to make V.92 available
for many ISPs without a lot of expensive upgrades. Like totally new equipment: TotalControl
1000. The equipment is available, but V.92/V.44 really isn't - it's in beta
and all the bugs aren't out yet. Owners of older Total Control systems with the
HiPer modem cards may be able to support V.92 with other HiPer chassis upgrades
and a valid support contract; There will be no V.92/V.44 for Quad modem cards.
The CommWorks site indicates both V.92 and V.44 will be supported. All the
client-side V.92 modems also support V.44 with the notable exception of USR.
(See 14-Aug-01 update below.) (Revision to text of this item made 1-Dec-01)

27-Oct-01 - V.92 upgrade for USR modems - The list
of USR modems for which a free V.92 upgrade will be made available has been
changed and shortened. There still is only one USR modem - the 5686 external fax
modem - for which a V.92 upgrade is currently available. There are now only 14
product codes for which a V.92 upgrade is "coming soon". It is worth
noting that over 7 months ago, USR promised V.92 upgrades would be
"coming soon" for 74 product codes. (See 22-Mar-01 update below.)

18-Oct-01 - Prodigy to use Level3 & offer V.92 - Prodigy,
formerly a Navipath customer, will become a Level3 Communications customer. V.92
access may be offered by the end of 2001. See this Level3
Press Release.

22-Sep-01 - Navipath going out of business - Internet.com
reports that Navipath, which provides national wholesale access in the US to
hundred of ISPs, is exiting the business at the end of this month. In July,
Navipath became the first - and still only - national access provider offering
V.92 support. The Navipath web
site now consists of a single page, and the July press release has been
removed. (See 8-Jul-01 update below.) Most ISPs using Navipath POPs likely will
continue serving customers by switching to other wholesale providers; but, the
national network of V.92 access numbers may soon disappear.

1-Sep-01 - Conexant HCF - Phoebe Micro has added a
Modem-on-hold applet as well as Win2K and Me beta V.92 drivers to its website.
The is the first release of a modem-on-hold applet - which is necessary to take
advantage of the V.92 call-waiting/hold capabilities. See Conexant
HCF Driver page. (Lucent/Agere-based Zoom 3025L's sold in November of last
year still don't have a Modem-on-hold applet.)

23-Aug-01 - Nortel CVX - While Nortel may sell the CVX
division, I'm told that development of the product line is continuing. V.92/V.44
is reported to be in beta testing.

22-Aug-01 - USR Courier & Performance Pro - Steve
Zager, US Robotics' Analog Product Manager says V.92 upgrades will definitelybe made for the Performance Pro 5610A modem. The older 25mhz Couriers
(2805 and 2806) will also get a V.92 upgrade; but, no upgrade for the 20mhz
Couriers. Zager indicated the upgrades are targeted for release sometime after
September, but before April of 2002. The 5610A upgrade might be available as
early as October 15. (This report corrects earlier report - see Apr 3 update
below.)

17-Aug-01 - Lucent Ascend Max Gripes - Ascend
users are griping because V.92/V.44 support for their MAX TNT's is coming at
a price: service contract. [Nearly all server-side RAS makers gave free upgrades
from K56Flex or x2 to V.90.] This
post indicates Nortel Networks is discontinuing development of its
RAS business - including the CVX. (See - 23-Aug update above)

15-Aug-01 - HCF & V.92 - Phoebe Micro's website has
a beta V.92 driver for the RocketExpress HCF. With proper tinkering, this driver
can be used on other HCF modems. See: HCF Driver Page.

14-Aug-01 - USR Courier V.92 upgrade - It appears that
US Robotics has had a positive change of heart regarding V.92 on "V.Everything"
Courier modems: a V.92 upgrade will be developed for model 2805, 2806 and the
new 3453 Couriers. The USR V.92 Upgrade Qualifier has now been updated to
include 2805 and 2806 models. (Note: USR has indicated V.44 will not be part of
the V.92 upgrade, and they have no plans to provide a V.44 upgrade. Sources for
this info include Alexey Stanovy at www.usrsupport.ru
& Gordon Shumway at Maximumpc.com.) Meanwhile, the infamous
"Performance Pro" is still listed as a model that will have
an upgrade even though my information indicates an upgrade will not be
made.

3-Aug-01 - USR Control Center - Post
in Forum56 indicates the USR
Control Center software has been updated so that it [finally] recognizes the
5686D V.92 modem as a USR modem, and that there is an updated firmware release
for it (that poster says improved performance). Remember 5686 modems are
hardware controller-based - See Flashing Sportsters.

14-Jul-01 - Commworks starts V.92 compatibility testing - Zoom's
web site has 3Com's Commworks June
4 press release announcing the addition of V.92 and V.44 to it's
compatibility program. Strange - I can't find this press release on either the 3Com
or Commworks
sites.... Basically, there is no change from info in the 6-Apr-01 update
below: ISPs using later-model 3Com RAS are scheduled to have V.92/V.44 available
"in the third quarter".

10-Jul-01 - Cisco Release V.92/V.44 - With IOS release
12.2(2)XA, V.92 and V.44 firmware is available for ISPs using Cisco certain
configurations of Cisco AS5300/5400 Remote Access Servers. (The V.92 support
does not yet include PCM upstream.) V.92/V.44 support for AS5800/5850 is
expected in a few months.

8-Jul-01 - Navipath has issued a press
release indicating it is the first ISP to provide nationwide
support for V.92 and V.44. Navipath operates as a wholesale access provider and
doesn't offer access service (or a phone number list) directly to the public. It
also doesn't identify any ISPs that use its access service. (See 22-Sep-01
update: Navipath going out of business.)

3-Jul-01 - Conexant HCF & V.92 - The first V.92 HCF
drivers spotted by Brilenkov on the Diamond site supporting their USB modem
using the HCF chipset. See HCF Driver Page
(Diamond listing).

1-Jul-01 - Rock River, IL V.92 - Rock
River Internet has upgraded Lucent Ascend-MAX access equipment to V.92
to be 'the first on the block' - but a message
to Ascend-users discussion group indicates the upgrade is a "...waste
of money." The ISP says that USR's V.92 modems won't connect to the Lucent
server if either modem-on-hold or Quick Connect is enabled...

17-Jun-01 - Conexant HSF Soft56 & V.92 - A 3.xx
driver available from Microsoft may say it supports V.92 commands, but not
actually allow them. See this new page on the Soft56
& V.92. The links for the 3.05.02 driver are on the Soft56
Page. Meanwhile, Zoltrix is reported to be selling a HSF modem with a red
V.92 sticker on the box, but supplied with 2.x V.90 drivers. Currently, there
are no V.92 drivers on the Zoltrix site. The driver on the Microsoft site lists
only Conexant as the manufacturer, and the driver supports "Generic
Conexant Soft56"; however, only a single PCI ID is supported by the driver,
and Conexant has never made generic drivers available. New
pages on the site describe, step-by-step, how to use this driver with other
PCI ID's.

9-Jun-01 - Dell & Compaq & V.92 - Lucent
spin-off Agere will supply Dell & Compaq with V.92 modems (not just
chipsets) based upon a new version of the Mars chipset ('LT Win Modem'). Compaq
will begin selling the modem in kit form within the next 60 days for Deskpro
models while Dell's V.92 modem is not expected until this fall.

12-May-01 - Conexant V.92 - Phoebe Micro's marketing
department told me that they are selling a "V.92 upgradeable modem"
and will be adding that to the product description (see 10-May update below).
They indicate Conexant V.92 code has not been finalized, and V.92 drivers will
be made available for their V.92 modems after Phoebe receives Conexant code (end
of May), and completes its own testing of the code. The modems will support V.92
and V.44.

10-May-01 - Conexant V.92 that's not V.92? - Phoebe
Micro's website now lists 2 Conexant-based V.92 modems - the Rocket
V.92 Express is a controllerless 'HCF' modem; and, the Rocket
Link V.92 a Soft56 'HSF'. It's pretty apparent Phoebe simply copied the
specs for V.90 HCF and HSF modems, as other than the V.92 in the name, there is
no mention of V.92 on the product pages. Phoebe's
Driver downloads include "V.92" drivers for these modems. However,
an examination of the driver download indicates these are not V.92 drivers at
all - they are V.90 only! The firmware files in the downloads for HSF and HCF
are July and March, 2000, well before V.92 was being developed.

10-May-01 - Lucent & V.92 - Mark Seward, Network
Operations Manager at Paradise.Net
indicates that the V.92 testing (see 13-Apr-01 update below) involves modems
that are part of the regular dial-in hunt group. With this arrangement, a
customer may get a V.92 or V.90 modem on any particular call. Seward says that
there is a pilot dial-in number set up for customers who wish to get a V.92
capable modem on all calls. He also says that trials are progressing well, and
that they have seen no problems supporting legacy (V.90 and V.34) modems. Also
- I'm told that RuralNetwork.net
in Idaho has upgraded to V.92 on one of its 56k dialup numbers (not sure what
vendor's V.92 they are using).

5-May-01 - Lucent & V.92 - Heather Becker, director
of marketing and communications for CLEC Contact Communications and ISP
Wyoming.com, indicates the information another contact at Contact gave me in
April is incorrect (see 13-Apr-01 update below). Becker indicated that
Wyoming.com has POPs in 14 cities, and has been running beta, and now production
V.92/V.44 code in 3 cities: Cheyenne, Riverton, and Lander, Wyoming. Wyoming.com
is not promoting and doesn't mention V.92 on its website, and Becker says
"We will market its availability to our end users and expand its deployment
to our other Points of Presence when we complete modem testing." She also
indicates successful testing with client modems, and no problems with legacy
V.90 modems connecting, although some V.92 modems (Zoom and USR) may have some
problems in some situations, and they are waiting for these vendors to fix their
modem code before fully deploying V.92.

21-Apr-01 - Phoebe Micro - makers of modems using
various chipsets including Conexant, PCTel and others says "...only
certain modems can be upgraded to V.92 because of the hardware issue. You need
to have a V.92 upgradeable modem in order to achieve the latest standard."
Without indicating what modems are upgradeable, the page indicates when
"ISP upgrade issues" are cleared, they will have V.92 upgrade software
available. See Phoebe
Micro V.92 page.

14-Apr-01 - Cisco & V.92 - Cisco's plans for V.92
have been delayed (see 28-Dec-00 update below). V.92 (without PCM upstream) and
V.44 are currently in beta testing, and a May release is expected for NextPort
CSMv6 modem, and a June release for Mica modems in AS5300 & AS5800 servers.
V.92/V.44 support for the 3600 with Mica modem will be delayed. V.92 PCM
upstream will only be available with the NextPort, and is targeted for a
3rd-quarter release.

13-Apr-01 - Lucent V.92 - The Lucent V.92 press release
(see 5-Apr below) identifies 2 ISPs that have implemented V.92 "live"
or "in a production environment. I have contacted both ISPs, and neither is
running V.92 on Lucent RAS in what I would call a production environment:
Contact Communications, a
CLEC in Riverton, Wyoming told me "We are currently doing beta testing of
V.92 with selected testers. As you noted there are still some problems with the
modems. It is not currently available [to retail users]." Paradise.Net
in New Zealand told me "At the moment we are trialling the V.92 code. The
trials are progressing nicely although at this stage we have no eta on V.92
being available [to our customers]."

6-Apr-01 - 3Com announces V.92 for Total Control - CommWorks,
a 3Com company has issued a press
release announcing the Total Control 1000 line of Remote Access Servers will
support V.92 (no mention of V.44) with a software upgrade expected to be
available in the third quarter of 2001. While the release indicates the
upgrade will be "free" - it's free only if the ISP has an (expensive)
service contract with 3Com. In addition, only the latest "enhanced"
line will get V.92 - earlier TotalControl equipment will not qualify even with a
service contract.

5-Apr-01 - Lucent announces V.92 for Ascend MAX - In a
3-Apr-01 press
release, Lucent indicates it is the first vendor to provide V.92 and V.44
support for ISPs. Read closely and you'll see that PCM upstream is not
included with the release - it will be "...late this year."
US Robotics' V.92 modems may be unable to connect to V.92 servers - USR
bug page updated.

4-Apr-01 - Nortel Networks & V.92 -V.92
code for Nortel's high-density CVX access servers is currently in beta; while a
new CVX release is expected around May 1, it appears it will not include V.92
which will remain in an extended beta and appear as a separate release. V.44
compression apparently will be supported on only the CVX's CSM6 double-density
modem cards - V.44 will not be supported on CSM3 modem cards.

The first quarter of 2001 has passed, and no server-side
modem vendor has released V.92.
Zoom continues to ship and sell "V.92" modems that lack key elements
of the protocol - and provides no updates that will allow these modems to
actually do V.92 when it becomes available!

3-Apr-01 - USR & V.92 - It gets more confusing....
The 30-Mar update that follows mentions the Performance Pro modem will be
discontinued, and that no V.92 upgrade will be available. It has been on, off
and is now back on the list of modems for which an upgrade will be available at
the USR
website. I have re-checked the tape of my conversation with USR's Rob
Thomsen on 22-Mar-01, and he did indicate to me at that time the Performance Pro
would be discontinued and that no V.92 upgrade would be available for it. As you
can read below, I'm not holding my breath for clarification...

After I made inquiries regarding US Robotics' February V.92
press release, public relations firm - Maples
Communications - scheduled an interview with for 22-Mar with Kevin Lacey. On
22-Mar, I was told I would be not be talking with engineer Lacey, but USR
marketing's Rob Thomsen. Before I was able to ask all my questions, Maples told
me they had to end the interview. I was told I could submit the additional
questions via e-mail, and that they would respond. I immediately e-mailed
additional questions, and a week later had received no reply whatsoever. On
29-Mar, I inquired whether there would be any response to my questions. Maples'
Mike Kilroy told me:

As you can imagine, USR product managers are very busy people,
especially with the new direction of the company. I have to be careful how much
I take of their time responding to media inquiries forwarded by me.

I will attempt to answer your additional questions but it may
take a few days to a couple of weeks.

As of today, the text on the USR V.92 upgrade page has
been changed: if your modem's product code is not listed in the drop-down box,
it now indicates that your modem will not be eligible for a V.92 upgrade, and
the list of modems included in the list has been updated. For example, the
Performance Pro modem (5610A) has been removed from the list. Thomsen indicated
that the Performance Pro modem is being discontinued. My additional questions -
and commentary. The following item was published 22-Mar-01 after the interview:

22-Mar-01 - There are mistakes in the design of USR's
V.92 modem upgrade pages according to Rob Thomsen, USR Product Line Manager: the
drop-down list of modems is intended to be the complete list of modems that
have, or will at some point have a V.92 upgrade, but there are some models for
which an upgrade is intended that are missing from the list; he also indicates
that the message to check back if your model is not listed should state that if
your model is not listed there will be no V.92 upgrade for your modem.

The only Courier/V.Everything modem that will have a V.92
upgrade is the newly designed, mostly unavailable
Courier model 3453. (This Courier has been shipping internationally for less
than 6 months, and the old EOL'd
Courier model 2806 is the one currently listed for sale on USR's website.)
Thomsen indicated that USR plans to offer a trade-up plan for owners of older
Couriers allowing them to exchange their old Courier for a new V.92 model at a
reduced price. Bottom-of-the-line Winmodems, as well as OfficeConnect and
PerformancePro, and modems that were originally sold without V.90 (x2 with V.90
upgrade) will not qualify for a V.92 upgrade.

It appears to me there is an even bigger mistake at USR: the
implied promise of modem upgrades versus the reality. The USR
V.92 FAQ currently has Q&A - Q: Will Current V.90
products be upgradable? A: Yes. Many will be. While there are 74
product numbers on the USR drop-down list, I can't figure out what most of these
actually are. In most cases, the product numbers listed for currently
available products on USR's site do not appear in the upgrade list! In addition
to the Courier, OfficeConnect and PerformancePro, other current modems which
will not have a V.92 upgrade include 56k-external voice modem 5605; and internal
PCI model 5687: Out of 7 currently listed consumer models, upgrades will be
available for 2. Out of the 5 Courier
models listed on USR's product page, zero will have V.92 upgrades. Out of 6 Laptop
(PC-Card) modems listed on USR's product page, none are currently included
in the V.92 upgrade list. Many?

I assumed that USR (and other modem vendors) would
support V.44 compression in conjunction with V.92, but USR's V.92
product does not implement the new V.44 compression standard.

It also appears there's a change in the USR software
originally described as allowing for 3 rate optimizations with V.92: upstream,
downstream or balanced. The USR website currently describes ControlCenter as
allowing the user to set the modem for maximum downstream, or
"balanced". (Based upon prior updates, this appears consistent with a
V.92 PCM upstream that can only be on or off and does not allow for setting
upstream or downstream speed limits; the increased upstream will come with a
reduction in downstream rate.)

16-Mar-01 - 3Com & V.92 - 3Com remains the vendor
for many ISPs using what used to be US Robotics' Total Control Remote Access
Servers via the new CommWorks
division. Indications are V.92 capability will be available for the Total
Control (TC1000) chassis with 24 or 96-port HiPer DSP modems as a software
upgrade SKU (presumably with a price). The upgrade is expected to be available
to ISP customers sometime after June of this year. 3Com has confirmed that
V.92/V.44 will not be available for customers with older Quad Modem DSP
Cards.

8-Mar-01 - USR & V.92 - The USR
website now has promised free upgrades for a handful of USR modem models.
Early reports indicate some trouble: some users are reporting lower V.90
connect speeds with the new V.92 firmware. There also appears to be a bug.
Warning: USR provides no [easy] way of flashing your modem back to
a prior version! The HTML source code for the USR upgrade page contains comments
that might be indicative of future plans, and also reveals there are only 2
model #s (out of 74 listed) for which V.92 upgrade are currently available - see
this page.

USR now has a retail V.92 modem: USR5686D
- an external modem listing at $149.

At least some of top-of-the-line Courier V.Everything's do
not currently qualify for a free upgrade! USR says to check back
"at a later time" if your model number is not listed. USR indicates
that its V.92 implementation includes software to support call-waiting and
modem-on-hold, and allows the user to optimize the connection for upstream,
downstream or to balance the two. [It appears that until V.92 servers are
available, an upgraded modem may be set to disconnect on call waiting in a
manner similar to the Lucent Win Modem.] USR, which is using a new
public-relations company, has not responded to my questions and requests for
more information.

24-Feb-01 - USR & V.92 - US Robotics has issued a V.92
Press Release. The release does not give any specific information about V.92
products or upgrades, but indicates USR V.92 modems should be available by the
end of March. ZDNet has published a
related story with information that is not contained in the official USR
release. Zoom has been selling "V.92" modems since last November, and
has not yet provided any driver updates. The drivers provided by Zoom will
not work properly, or support all V.92 features like modem-on-hold. V.92
servers should start appearing soon - and I hope Zoom will provide necessary
drivers before that occurs!

18-Feb-01 - Nortel/Bay V.92 - It appears that Nortel,
which purchased Bay Networks and its 5300-series line of ISP access equipment,
will not support V.92 on the 5300 series. Nortel V.92 upgrades will be
made only for the newer CVX series of access servers. A February 12 Press
Release indicates that V.92 will be available for the CVX series during the
first quarter of this year.

9-Jan-01 - USR & V.92 - The US Robotics web site
had a V.92 press release dated 6-Jan-01 which was
removed from the site after report of the release here. A USR spokesperson told
me today that the release was a mistake - that while USR made a number of press
releases in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show, they did not
intend to issue the now-removed press release, and that USR is not currently
shipping V.92 product. The item said that USR has completed interoperability
testing with server-side vendors; that USR is now shipping a 5686 External V.92
Faxmodem, and that "certain" USR products will be upgradeable to the
V.92 standard for free, with reference to USR
website for more information. It appears that USR is focusing on what it
hopes will be high-growth Broadband products - cable & DSL. Also see: Broadband
- Not So Fast!

8-Dec-00 - V.92 servers - Cisco has revealed plans for
V.92: There will be no V.92 support for AS5200 servers. 3600,
AS5300 and AS5800 servers with Mica modems will support V.44 compression,
Modem-on-Hold, and Quick Connect around April, 2001 - there will be no
support for V.92 PCM upstream for Mica modems. AS5350, 5400 and 5800 servers
using NextPort CSMv6 modems will have V.44 compression, Modem-on-Hold and Quick
Connect around March, 2001, and V.92 PCM upstream support is projected for this
modem card between July and September, 2001. Note - AS5300's with older Microcom
modems will not support V.92 or V.44. [Wording revised 15-Dec-00]

Meanwhile, Conexant's Nov. 22 press release applauds V.92
ratification and indicates Conexant will begin shipping V.92 chipsets 'this
year'. It appears that Conexant will not support V.92 or V.44 in any of its
existing V.90 consumer chipsets.

25-Nov-00 - V.92 servers -Still
only vague estimates for when V.92 will become available for ISPs. 3Com has made
no formal announcement, but some of its customers have indicated that March,
2001 is the target for V.92 from 3Com. They indicate that 3Com will provide a
'free' upgrade for the HiPer DSP modems, but will not implement V.92 at all for
its Quad modems.

22-Nov-00 - Do you have a V.92 modem already? If you
have a Lucent-based Win Modem, you may be able to 'preview' V.92 yourself: The
drivers on the Zoom website for the new 3025 V.92 modem work with other old LT
modems. There's really no need to 'preview' the driver at this time, as there
are no V.92 servers to call; however, the compatibility of Lucent's V.92 driver,
combined with Zoom's intent not to offer V.92 upgrades for its existing
product is significant. More information on the driver compatibility as well as
some editorial comment on this new page: LT & V.92.
No thanks to Zoom, whose manual with this product is Copyright 1999 with no
mention of any V.92 commands, I have information on some V.92
commands and V.250, a proposed standard for modem commands. It also
appears that the V.92 PCM upstream may not allow for speed-limit control
commands: unlike the downstream limits, PCM
upstream is either on or off: if there is an impact on the downstream, you will
not be able to tune or limit the upstream rate.

18-Nov-00 PC World story on V.92 - Tracey Capen reports
from Comdex that US Robotics "Previews Minor Upgrade in V.92 Modems".
The PC
World report says "...V.92 will let you speed your upload by
sacrificing download performance". (Incorrect information in the article
includes: V.90 modems send data to your PC at 56kbps and upload at 32kbps as
well as the description of Quick Connect.) The report also says US Robotics
plans to offer free V.92 upgrades for "many" of its V.90 models. Update
22-Nov:The USR preview written about by PC World was at a private
demonstration off the show floor. USR, Lucent, and Cisco have not responded to
my requests for additional information on their Comdex presentations.

16-Nov-00 - Comdex & V.92 - I wish I had been
there. I have only sketchy information at this time: Lucent demo's V.92: V.92
modem-on-hold working demo to three servers; V.44 compression working to 2 of
the 3 and showing a 33% download improvement over V.42bis on a test file.
Apparently, the demo does not include a PCM upstream - possibly due to V.92
upstream/downstream issues reported in recent updates below. Lucent is now the
only company in the analog modem business that makes client modem chipsets and
server remote access equipment. US Robotics and Conexant have no exhibits. Cisco
- which relies on Conexant for its server modem code - may be showing V.92 and
I'm seeking more details. 3Com is listed as exhibiting PCMCIA and wireless
product - no news on V.92 with the Total Control access server line. The final
approval of V.92 as an ITU standard is expected before the end of this week.

Our interoperability testing has focused first on the Modem on Hold and
QuickConnect features and we are just now beginning to test and analyze PCM
Upstream, so we don't have empirical data to support or reject [ the 56k=v.Unreliable
report of lower downstream rates ]. We don't believe the PCM Upstream will
impact the Downstream rates but will provide more info after further testing.

10-Nov-00 - Lucent
issues press release indicating that it has begun interoperability testing
and will support V.92 sometime in 2001 with its Ascend line of remote access
servers. There is no indication as to what kind of upstream rates - and the
effect on the downstream - are being achieved in Lucent's testing. No press
release, but an announcement by Lucent Portmaster product manager Marty Likier
in the independent Portmaster-users discussion list that the Portmaster line is
now formally at end-of-life. Any remaining connectivity issues (and there
are some) with PM3's will not be addressed - there will be no more Lucent
updates for this product used by many [mostly smaller] ISPs.

V.92 - Upstream/Downstream rates: Testing information.

UPDATE - 4-Nov-00: More
on V.92's effect on downstream rates

Revised 21-Oct-00
update - Ed Schulz pointed out in newsgroup post that it is impossible to
get V.92 PCM upstream without a PCM downstream connect; original text implied
that 48k PCM upstream achieved with a V.34 downstream.

As reported earlier (see 21-Oct-00 update), V.92 may not
live up to the promise of improved upstream rates without an impact on
downstream rates:

An engineer might explain it this way: In theory, the power
generated by the PCM upstream does not effect the downstream until the
upstream hits roughly 40K. At that point, the PCM downstream has to be reduced
by about 8K. This would mean that if you previously could get a 52k V.90
connection, you would be able to get 44k (52k-8k) downstream while
getting 48k upstream. (However, I'm told that this has not been achieved in
industry testing.)

It is unclear if performance in the real world will even
achieve the theory that upstream rate can go to about 40k without an effect on
the downstream: the reason is echo. The upstream PCM signal is echoed back by
the telco's line card and becomes part of the downstream. This PCM echo is more
difficult to cancel than the conventional V.34 signal creating a higher signal
to noise ratio requiring a reduced downstream rate.

UPDATE - 31-Oct-00 - Zoom ships V.92 modem: Zoom
issued a press release 26-Oct-00 indicating it has begun high-volume
shipment of model 3049 external and model 3025-PCI internal V.92 modems.
However, the press release indicates Zoom does not expect any ISPs to offer V.92
service until sometime in 2001, so these new V.92 modems will connect using V.90
in the meantime. Zoom has told me that the models introduced are based on Lucent
chipsets, and they will also introduce V.92 product based on Conexant chipsets.
Zoom has indicated that it will not make V.92 upgrades available for any
of its 56k V.90 product, and that it will continue to make and sell V.90 modems.
Expect more product announcements from other vendors as Comdex Fall/2000
approaches Nov 13-17 in Las Vegas.

UPDATE - 21-Oct-00 - V.92 upstream impacts
downstream rate in testing: An industry source tells me testing of V.92
modems has achieved 48kbps upstream rate - but with a maximum downstream
rate of less than 34K. Initial V.92 product may mean that to get any significant
boost in upstream rate, your downstream may drop below 34k. Client modem will
need to use different initialization strings to optimize upstream at expense of
downstream, or vice-versa. V.92 changes: The ITU working committee has
been considering changes to the V.92 specification at recent meetings. 2 changes
relate to the new 'Quick Connect' feature - and lengthen slightly the handshake
time for quick connect (to prevent premature fallback to V.34, and to ensure
answer tone is present long enough to disable telco echo cancellers). Another
change specifies which modem will initiate an answer tone when resuming a
connection that was placed on call-waiting hold. It is unclear whether a final
specification will be ratified when the ITU meets in Geneva November
13-17.

publishes V.92 Q&A; says
expects to have a V.92 product announcement by the end of the year.

UPDATE - 2-Oct-00 - No V.92 for Lucent/Livingston
Portmaster 3 (PM3):
I've been told that Marty Likier, Lucent product manager for the PM3, announced
there will be no V.92 support for the Portmaster 3 access server. (Lucent PR has
not yet responded to a request to confirm this.) The PM3 is widely used and
loved by hundreds of [local and regional] ISPs. Lucent acquired the PM3 with the
1998 purchase of Livingston. In 1999, Lucent purchased Ascend which made
competing access equipment (AscendMAX). ISPs using the PM3 apparently will have
to buy new access servers if they wish to offer V.92 when it becomes available.

The press release indicates the DP2V90DX is upgradable to the new V.92
standard. How will this be accomplished and will there be a charge for this
upgrade?

Lucent response: YES, VIA SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS (UPGRADES)

Will Lucent make available a V.92 upgrade for its other V.90 modem
products (Apollo/Mars, Venus, Scorpio), and if so, what will be the terms and
timeframe?

Lucent response: WE PLAN TO PROVIDE SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS (UPGRADES)
TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR V.90 MODEM CHIP SETS, AND WE INDICATED IN OUR JULY
2000 V.92 PRESS RELEASE THAT WE PLAN TO HAVE SUCH ENHANCEMENTS AVAILABLE THIS
FALL.

In response to my follow-up seeking more information, a Lucent spokesman
indicated that their V.92 "...pricing strategy will be driver by whatever
the market dictates. For competitive reasons, we cannot provide more details
regarding pricing." Lucent indicated that the OEM's who buy Lucent chips
ultimately control the pricing to endusers.

[It appears to me that this new chipset is similar to the
Apollo/Mars software modem with DSP - aka Lucent Win Modem.]

UPDATE - 28-Jul-00 - I spoke with Kevin Lacey, Firmware
Development Manager for the new US Robotics who clarified the conflicting
statements regarding maximum upstream rate with V.92: The USR release of 44k is
incorrect. The V.92 recommendation will permit a maximum upstream rate of 48k.
An upgrade for existing USR/Courier V.90/x2 modems is technically possible, but
no decision has been made as to how and if an upgrade will be made available.

I expect the call-waiting capability of V.92 to be the most
appealing feature for some users: some people are paying $5 - $10/month for an
Internet Call Waiting service that could be eliminated with V.92....

UPDATE - 22-Jul-00 - Lucent, U.S. Robotics, Cisco and
Conexant have issued mostly vague press releases on V.92. Lucent
- July 10, USR
July 11. The Cisco/Conexant
joint release was issued July 11. Lucent, Conexant and Cisco will be making
product that supports V.92 in the fall. USR, no longer a 3Com company, will be
shipping client-only V.92 modems "...when interoperability with
head-end providers is achieved." 3Com, which has not made any
announcements, retained the TotalControl access equipment and server modem line
used by many ISPs. Lucent and USR provide more information on the faster
handshake:

"Quick Connect will approximately halve the time required
for a dial up modem to make the 'handshake' to an Internet Service Provider on
regularly used connections..." (Lucent 7/10 release.)

This implies that V.92 modems will have a means to learn and
recognize connection characteristics - the reduction in connect time won't occur
on all connections. It will be interesting to learn more how this function will
be implemented, and how effective it is in the real-world calling. [I would
expect it may have problems for customers whose phone company and/or ISP is
using robbed-bit-signaling.]

None of the companies have announced any upgrade provisions
for current V.90 modem owners - for ISPs or end-users. Hardware modems - modems
with flash memory and on-board controller & DSP - can be upgraded only if
there is enough on-board memory to hold the new firmware and the vendor makes a
V.92 flash available. Technically, all "controllerless" modems (modems
requiring Operating-System-specific driver) should be able to support V.92 with
a software driver upgrade. All of the 56k server modems used by ISPs are
software-controlled and could be upgraded to V.92 with software - as long as the
vendor makes that software available to the ISPs.

Conflicting statements on upstream rate: The Lucent
press release indicates that the new PCM upstream in V.92 will provide rates up
to 48kbps, while the USR release puts the maximum at 44kbps. (See 28-Jul update
above - 48k is the correct maximum upstream rate with V.92)

UPDATE - 7-Jul-00 -

The International
Telecommunication Union has agreed on three new standards. In addition to V.92 -
which may provide up to 48kbps upstream on "the best connections",
quicker handshaking, and call-waiting/modem-on-hold capabilities, the group
hosted by 3Com, Lucent, Conexant and Motorola also adopted recommendations on 2
additional proposed standards. V.44 is a new data compression technique that may
provide a 25% improvement over V.42 compression standards - up to a 6:1 ratio.
Finally, new procedures for modem and connection fault-finding were recommended
in V.59. Final approval of all 3 standards is now slated for a Study Group
meeting scheduled for November, 2000. Also see: ITU
press release. Modem vendors - for both end users and ISP server modems -
still have not publicly announced plans for V.92 support. Conexant has obtained
the V92.COM domain which is inactive.

ORIGINAL REPORT - 8-Jun-00
Technical issues reportedly have set back the determination of V.92 - the new
dial-up PCM modem standard that may provide up to 44k upstream rates. Action now
expected at a June 30 meeting. Normally, once a proposed standard is determined,
new V.92 modems will arrive in advance of the formal adoption of the standard
some (6+) months later.

When V.90 was introduced, many called it "the last"
analog modem standard --- it just wouldn't be possible to go any faster.

V.91 is already a "standard" that allows up
to 64k up & downstream rates for "voice" calls over ISDN. There is
virtually no deployment of V.91.

What V.92 offers:

Increased upstream rates - up to 44k by using a PCM
stream through an a/d conversion. [Still, only 1 a/d conversion is required: if
you have trouble getting 56k rates with V.90, there will be no improvement.]Faster Handshaking - The time to establish a connection may be reduced.Call-Waiting Compatibility - Allows modems to stay connected 'on-hold'
while you take an incoming call-waiting call.

How will V.92 fare in the marketplace? Modems have become a
commodity, although USR modems still command a premium price. While new consumer
V.92 modems may appear soon, no benefit can occur unless ISPs also upgrade their
access equipment.

I'd expect that nearly all 56k modems - consumer and ISP - are
capable of being upgraded to support V.92 via a software or firmware flash. I'm
not aware of any modem vendor that's announced plans for V.92 product or
upgrades. The greed factor may produce upgrade fees, or not developing upgrades
for some V.90 product lines at all to try and force purchase of new V.92
technology. (None of the modem players I've contacted are ready to make public
statements regarding V.92.) There appears to be little demand among ISPs to add
V.92 support.

Increased upstream rates will provide little real-world
performance increase for most dial-up activities. I would expect the new PCM
upstream - going through an analog to digital conversion - to have even more
real-world problems than with today's V.90/V.34 asymmetrical connections.
With an estimated 40% of V.90 owners experiencing no V.90 or connectivity
problems, the need for speed will be tempered by the disappointing 56k
experience to date.

With 3Com shedding it's market-leading and unprofitable modem
business to an offshore firm, and Lucent and Conexant still working out some
V.90 bugs, we may not see a strong and cohesive marketing push at all.

Most computers sold today come bundled with a "56k
modem". Often that's the total description of the modem - V.90 may not even
be mentioned. It will be difficult to distinguish the new V.92
"56/44k" from the old V.90 "56k" modem.

In addition to possible increased upstream rates, V.92
will provide quicker handshaking on some types of calls, and a 'data-hold'
feature that will allow call-waiting compatibility. You'll be able to hold the
modem connection to your ISP while you take an incoming voice call with
call-waiting. Despite these improvements, V.92 may produce more headache and
pain than benefits for ISPs and the modem industry players.

Standards Process: There are two major steps in getting
a modem standard: Determination and Adoption. When a standard is determined, the
specifications are "almost" set. Minor revisions may be made to the
standard before it is adopted some months (usually 6 or more) later. USR V.90
modems were available less than a week after V.90 was determined, and other
vendors quickly followed. "Pre-standard" product was marketed before
most prior standards including 14.4/V.32, 28.8-33.6/V.34 and x2/K56Flex/V.90,
but this is not happening with V.92.